Playing-cards.



s. G. LEGH.

, PLAYING CARDS.

' Patented 0@1;.31,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I 535 E' Y L T ZEh,

WITNESSES:

I ATTORNEYS SYDNEY o; nnqg or onmmornn, SWITZERLANIT, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF rocHARLEs A. GIFFORD, OF SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY.

PLAYING-CARDS.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, Snmnr C. LEGH, a subject of the King of England, residing at Oberhofen, Lake Thun, Switzerland, have invented certam new and-useful Improvements in Playing-Cards; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has reference, generally, to improvements in playing cards; and, the present invention relates, more particularly, to that class of playing cards known in the art as squeezers, in which the card value is upon the full face of the card, as-well as in miniature upon the margin of the card, so that the player can easily read'the values of the respective cards when held in the hand and when arranged in a fan-like or other close order. In playing cards of this character, it is a fact, that the mental image given by this miniature arrangementof the card-values, in the form of pips, or letters or figures, is not so clear that the average player dare trust to'it, and the player will, therefore, either keep the cards in the hand in open order, thus foregoing the help ofiered by the marginal indications of the cardvalues; or, in critical movement, to be quite sure, the player will shufile the cards across his or her field of vision, so as to catch a glimpse of the full face of a card or of all the cards in the hand.

The present invention has for its principal objects: first;to remedy this defect gy making the-closely arranged cards in the and by making the squeezers really eflicient and the marginal indications practicable for the purposes for which they are intended; and, secondly, to distinguish readily between the two suits of the same color, as for instance between hearts and diamonds and between clubs and spades, not only when the cards are held in the hand, but also when face up on the table.

Other objects of this invention not at this time more particularly enumerated will be clearly evident from the following detailed description of thepresent invention.

Specification bf Letters Patent. Application filed January 5, 1911;

jack, queen, king easily and quickly readable, and there- Serial No. 600,958.

With the various objects of the present invention in view, the said invention consists in a pack or series of playing cards, the purposes of which are as follows: First the card-value as indicated by means of a continuous series of miniature pips or a blaze upon one or both of the margins of each card, commencing at the top left hand corner, and also at the lower righthand corner; said arrangement or series of pips or blazes extending along the said edge or edges of the cards a distance proportionate to the number of pips or the length of blaze required to denote the value of each card, thus the 2 to 10 cards, being designated by a series of pips or a. blaze length, respectively, and furthermore, the

and ace cards, being respectively indicated by a series of pips or blazes of 11, 12, 13 and 14 units. Sec ondly;th-e suits of the same color may be distinguished by the pips or blazes being respectively rinted positively and negatively, that is, t e chain of pips in the heart and the club-suits may have the heart and club pips printed directly as to their forms in the usual red and black colors, while the chain of pips in the diamond and spade-suits may be indicated, as to their conformations in white upon a red or black blaze or marginal strip or band, respectively, so as to more easily distinguish the order of the cards. Thirdly; the suits of the same color may be distinguished by means of a border, either ornamental or in solid color,'or by the use of an all over design or background on the'card, the mar ginal indications or pips or blazes to be printed either positively or negatively,

Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

from 2 to '10 units in w as desired. And fourthly;the.suits of the same color may be distinguished by means of a back ground of solid color covering either the whole card or in the form of a wide margin, on which the spots or pips are displayed in white. Other arrangements of the series or chains of the pips or blazes may, however, be made without departing from the scope of the present invention, as for instance, the marginal pips may be printed with a slightly larger spacing after every alternate pip, thus forming them into pairs, to facilitate counting them.

Briefly, therefore, the .present invention consists in a pack of playing cards,-.each

card having a graphic representation of the card value produced by printing, or otherwise, upon the margin of the card, a flare or blaze of color formed by a row or chain of miniature pips of like shape or conformation and of the same number, as the pips upon the full face of the cards, the jack, queen, king and ace respectively, having rows or chains of 11, 12, 13 and 14 pips and, furthermore, by printing or otherwise producing said rows or chains of miniature pips both positively and negatively, according to their suit-indications, and also by means of borders and back grounds to easily distinguish the suits of the same color from one another.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a face-representation of an arrangement of thirteen cards, embodying the principles of the present invention, said arrangement of cards represent-mg a whisthand, and said figure showing the cards in their squeezed or closed order. Figs. 2 and 3 are face views of two playing cards, showing a modified arrangement of the chain of pips, said figures representing the negative arrangement of the pips on a colored blaze. Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, and 10 are face views of playing cards, showing several other modified arrangements of the chains of pips, borders, backgrounds, etc., but all embodying the principles of the present invention.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the reference-character 1 indicates an arrangement of thirteen playing cards of the various denominations or card-values, and the reference-character 2 indicates the chains or pips printed or otherwise produced upon the marginal edges of the respective cards, said pips in this arrangement of cards all being made in the same colors as the usual corresponding and larger card-values upon the faces of the cards. It will be noticed from an inspection of said Fig. 1 of the drawings, that in no case is there less than a representation of two pips forming a row or chain of pips. In this arrangement of cards all of the cardvalues have been shown, and thus :The two of hearts is provided with a chain of two hearts in miniature; the three of diamonds is provided with a chain of three diamonds in miniature; the four of clubs is provided with achain of four clubs in miniature; thefive of hearts is provided with a chain of five hearts in miniature; the six of spades is provided with a chain of six spades in miniature; the seven of diamonds is provided with a chain of seven diamonds in miniature; the eight of clubs is provided with a chain of eight clubs in miniature; the

nine of spades is provided with a chainof nine spades in miniature; the ten of diamonds is provided with a chain of ten diamonds in miniature; the jack of clubs is rovided with a chain of eleven clubs in miniature; the queen of diamonds is provided with a chain of twelve diamonds in miniature; the king of spades is provided with a chain of thirteen spades-in miniature; and the ace of diamonds is provided' with a chain of fourteen diamonds in miniature. Of course it will be understood, that the other cards of the suits not shown in the hand of cards represented in said figure, are also provided with correspondingly arranged chains of pips in miniature, all forming a graphic representation of the card values ranging from a chain of two pips, the .lowest card-value, to a chain of fourteen pips, the highest card-value. From an inspection of the hand-arrangement of the cards,'it will be clearly evident, that the respective values of the cards, when arranged in suits, can be easily read at a glance, so that there is no necessity of holding the cards in the hand in an open order, or to shuffle the cards across the field of vision of the player, as may benecessary in critical moments, with the cards now in ordinary use, in order to catch a glimpse of the full face of a card or cards, so as to be sure that the proper play is made.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings is shown a card 3, the six of diamonds, provided with a blaze 'or band 4: corresponding in color to the color of the suit of the card, this blaze or band 4: being provided with a chain of pips, as 5, negatively produced, and said chain of pips corresponding to the value of the card 3. One purpose of this arrangement of negative pips is that the diamond and spade suits can be easily distinguished from the heart and club suits, the said heart and club suits being provided 1 with chains of pips of the positive arrangement indicated in said Fig. 1 of the drawings, or vice-versa.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings is shown a playing card 6, the face of which is provided with a small full card value representation, as 7, representing in this case, the seven of spades, said card 6 being provided with a marginal color-blaze or band, as 8, corresponding in color to the color of the suit of the card-value representation 7 the said blaze or band 8 being provided with a chain of pips, as 9,negatively produced.

In Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings are shown two cards 10 and 11, the ten of diamonds and the ace of spades, respectively, the complete faces of which are provided with the background 12, in red and black, respectively, according to the suit-value of the cards. The reference-character 13 in each; case indicates the full card-value representations, which are negatively produced upon the blazed faces of the cards, and

pips, as will be clearly the reference-character 14 indicating the graphic representations of the chains of pips corresponding to the values of said cards 10 and 11, said chains of pips being also negatively produced in both Instances.

In Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings is represented another modification, the playing cards being respectively indicated by the reference-characters l5 and 16, the faces of said cards being provided with small or full-card representations, as 17, representing the three of spades and the two of dia- 'monds, said cards 15 and 16 being provlded upon those portions which surround the said small full-card representations 17 with color-margins'lS, corresponding to the suitvalues of the respective cards, the said colormargins 18 being provided with chains of pips, as 19, in yniniature and also negatively produced.

Referring now to Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings, there is shown in said figures another modified construction of laying cards showing an embodiment of t e principal features of this invention. In said Figs. 8 and. 9, the reference-characters '20 and 21 indicate two cards, the four of diamonds, and the four of spades, respectively. As shown, in said Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings, the negative .suits, (diamonds and spades) in this case have a faint negative border, as at 22, which is carried around the cards in the form of lines which may be straight, or wavy, or of any ornamental design. The card indicated in said Fig. 8 is also provided with a blaze 23 upon which is negatively indicated a chain 01 pips, as 24, which indicates graphically the card value. In Fig. 9 of the drawings, this blaze is omitted and the chain of pips is also indicated by the referencechara'cter 24, and in the simple manner shown in Fig. l of the drawings.

In Fig. 10 is shown a card 25, in this case the ten of diamonds, which is provided with the usual arrangement of spots and a chain of pips as 26, all printed or otherwise produced upon an ornamental background, as 27 which may be made in a lighter shade of color than the color of the chain of evident.

f course, other means of differentiating the card-suits from each other may be employed; that is, in lieu of the background being made in strai ht or wavy lines, the background may be 0 any desired design or ornamentation; and, furthermore, the coloring of the background, if desired, may be of a shade different from that of the spots or of the marginal pips of the card. It will also be evident, that in lieu of the forms of colorbackground shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings, these color-backgrounds may,

.high value of the it will be understood, that any" comprising a series of each suit in hand by means of the lengths of said chains of pips, including the face cards and the high value of the ace.

2. A pack of cards comprising a series of card-suits, the cards of each suit being provided with graphic representations of the card values formed by chains of miniature pips of like shape and of the same number as the spots upon the faces of the cards,

all arranged to show the graphic representation of the relative strength of each suit in hand by means of the lengths of said chains of pips, including the face cards and the ace.

'3. A pack of cards comprising a series of card-suits, the cards of each suit being provided with graphic representations card values formed by chains of miniature pips of like shape and of the same number as the spots upon the faces of the cards, except the are provided with marginal chains of pips ranging from teen and fourteen pips, respectively.

4:. In a pack of playing cards comprising two sets of negative card suits, each card being provided with a marginal blaze,

each blaze being provided with a graphic representation of the card a chain of miniature pips upon the blaze, said chain of pips being negatively produced, and said pips being of value formed by like shape as the spots upon the faces of the cards, all arranged to show the graphic representation of the relative strength of each suit in hand by means of the lengths of said marginal blazes and the pips thereon, including the face cards and the high value of the ace. 8

5. In a pack of playing cards comprising two sets of negative card suits, each card being provided with a marginal blaze, each blaze being rovided wit-ha graphic representation of the card value'formed by a chain of pips being negatively produced, and said pips being of like shape as the spots upon the faces of the cards, except the jack, queen, king and ace, which are provided with marginal chains of pip's ranging from eleven, twelve, thirteen and fourteen pips, respectively, all arranged to show the graphic representation of the relaof the eleven, twelve, thirjack, queen, king, and ace, which tive strength of each suit in hand by means of the lengths of said marginal blazes and the pips thereon, including the face cardsand the high value of the ace.

6. A pack of cards comprising a series of card suits, the higher or positive suits being distinguished from the lower or nega tive suits by having the faces of the one set of suits colorably distinguished from the faces of the other suits, and the cards of each suit being provided with graphic representations of the card-values formed by chains of miniature pips, all arranged to show the graphic representation of the relative strength of each suit in hand by means of the lengths of said chains of pips, including the face cards and the high value of the ace.

7. A pack of cards comprising a series of card suits, the higher or positive suits being distinguished from the lower or negative of the card-va1ues formed by chains of IIIlI11-' ature pips, and the chain of pips in the negative suit-cards being negatively pro duced, all arranged to show the graphic rep- I resentation of the relative strength of each suit in hand by means of the lengths of said chains of pips, including the face cards and the high value of the ace, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set myhand this twentieth day of December 1910.

SYDNEY o. LEGH.

Witnesses:

HARVEY E. PITKIN, LEO. J. FRANKENIHAL. 

